Fractured Cards
by Cerrid
Summary: Just a quick fic that I wrote at some ridiculus hour in the morning about a boy called Raven and a genius called Bane...
1. Beginnings

"I summon Harpy Lady in attack mode" Raven cried, sliding the card into place on the duelling platforms reader plate. In the stadium the holographic projectors flared briefly before light formed into the gracile figure of Harpy Lady. "You're obviously losing your edge if you think that overgrown bird can stop me" taunted Erisa, Ravens opponent. "I also play this card face down ending my turn" Raven countered calmly. "My turn and I think I'll attack your Harpy Lady with my Dark Magician whom I summon by sacrificing my two two stars" Erisa taunted, "I'd like to see you beat the most powerful monster in my deck with that pathetic excuse for a monster, Dark magician, dark magic attack!"  
  
The Dark Magician raised his green staff, energy crackling and released a withering assault on Harpy Lady. Raven smiled, for a grade A duellist Erisa was surprisingly foolish. "By attacking my Harpy Lady you activate my trap card, Mirrorwall, this card reflects your attack right back at you, destroying your Dark Magician and your remaining lifepoints, I win" Raven informed Erisa calmly, flipping up the face down card and eradicating the last vestiges of her lifepoints. As he spoke a large crystal wall rose across his side of the field, reflecting the energy of the attack back at the Dark Magician, destroying it in a shower of multifractal sparks.  
  
The duellist platforms disengaged and Raven approached Erisa. "According to your own rules the winner takes the rarest card in your deck, I get your Dark Magician" Erisa sullenly handed over the card before spitting venomously at Raven, "How did you get that card, Mirrorwall is one in five cards, awarded to the top five in the state championship". "Just because I don't go banging titles around Erisa doesn't mean I haven't achieved anything" Raven said, sliding the card into his deck and exiting the duellist stadium.  
  
Bane looked up from his laptop to the construction team in front of him. "Yes?" he hissed, annoyed at the interruption. "Sir we've encountered a problem in to construction phase..." the foreman began but trailed off under the fury of Banes gaze. "I am about to host one of the greatest duelling tournaments in the entire western world" Bane began dangerously, "What I have done is reinvent holographic interfaces to a whole new level and what I don't need is and incompetent foreman who doesn't know how to tie his own shoelaces!" "I think I can fix it" he stammered quietly "You had better" Bane threatened  
  
Raven got home and face the usually diatribe, Where have you been?, What were you doing?, Who were you with?, Do you know the time? And after answering and re - answering his mother's questions for the umpteenth time he retreated to the peace and quiet of his bedroom.  
  
Lying on his double bed he began an instant replay of his duel with Erisa. Like most of his opponents she was horrible over confident in her abilities which was a drastic weakness, one he exploited mercilessly. Later, logging onto his computer, Raven planned to get a start on his computer based school work but the urge to read his email tingled at him, irresistibly. Connecting to the internet he opened his email and to his fascination found an email waiting for him, from Bane Enterprises.  
  
Bane glanced down at his reflection in the full length mirror. His hair, crimson red, neatly styled, his fashionable street clothing immaculate. Smiling, a smile that never reached his cold, cruel green eyes, he stepped out of obscurity and into the camera ranges pick up "Good evening" Bane intoned in his most sultry and seductive voice, "I am Bane Ebson, founder of Bane Enterprises and I am putting out a challenge to all duellists of the western world to participate in my newest game, Duel World!"  
  
Across TV sets viewers were enthralled by the young geniuses' announcement, even Raven "I have personally overseen the construction of facilities that will play host of millions of duellists entering my newest VR World, contestants will use Battle City rules and will not only duel to acquire opponents cards but also fight to complete quests and receive one of a kind duel monsters cards" Bane continued, "The competition is open to all duellists, but remember only the first two thousand get in if they don't have an invitation", Raven glanced back at his computer screen, displaying the virtual invitation ready to be printed, "I'll see you at the games".  
  
Raven thought ponderously to himself, this duel would be interesting indeed. 


	2. The New World

Rycan shifted his backpack while he shuffled through his deck, making sure he had the necessary cards to help him rise. He was tall in height, with black hair cropped short, hazel green eyes and several noticeable body piercings. He noticed several people around him trading cards but Rycan knew he didn't need to, his deck was invincible.  
  
Morgan lent over and grabbed a can of coke from her limousines mini fridge, popping the top and letting the sugary goodness flow through her she glanced over at the briefcase next to her, full of duel monster cards. Smiling happily to herself Morgan watched the streets roll by as she approached the VR complex.  
  
Bane looked up from the luminous computer screen; a shadow had just stirred, "Show yourself" Out of the darkness the stepped the figure of Marik "I am Marik Ishtar and I have a proposition for you" he intoned, smiling, and in a flash of light Bane forgot it all...  
  
The VR complex rose on the horizon, greeting the travelling duellists, many of them with hope in their hearts of winning the fabled ten million dollar prize. These eager duellists bustled around Raven as he strode the red carpet and entered the sleek, cool foyer of the complex. "Duellists of the world, welcome to my world, the duel of a lifetime, but remember their can only be one victor!" cried Bane Ebson, behind his dais Raven could glimpse the high tech VR pods, "Now battle away my friends, and may you reach to top". Bane stepped down from the dais and Raven strode past it, entering the closest pod.  
  
It was like entering another world, a mixture of desert, far off jungle and closer lakes. To his immediate left was the outskirts of a town and Raven headed straight for it, ready to fight.  
  
Morgan jacked into the VR pod, the computer placing her in the middle of the town, she was eager to try out some of the quests, of course not that she would actually do any of the work, of course not, after all money had privileges and Morgan used hers liberally.  
  
Rycan was in the village centre; around him the holographic villagers cheered the opponent on to victory. "I play the Yamata Dragon in attack mode, 2600 attack, 3100 defence" the opponent said, sacrificing two of his low level monsters to summon the gigantic serpentine creature. "My turn" Rycan replied cheerfully, "I play he Dragon Manipulator, attack 700, defence 800, I then use his special affect which allows me to posses one Dragon Monster on the field and use it as my own", as he spoke the Dragon Manipulator mounted the Yamata Dragon and exerted it's influence. "I then activate Shield and Sword switching my monsters attack and defence points, Yamata Dragon, direct lifepoint assault!" ordered Rycan. The fiery assault subsided and the opponent's lifepoint count was at a meagre 800.  
  
"I play Giant Soldier of Stone in defence mode" the guy countered hastily, summoning the rocky beast to the field of play, "End turn" "I play Troop Dragon" said Rycan, drawing the card throwing it in the air, releasing the monster, "His attack is normally 700 but shield and sword switches it with defence" Rycan paused a moment, drawing a breath and to psyche out his opponent, "Yamata Dragon destroy his Giant Soldier of Stone". Once again the dragon fired and blast and incinerated the monster. "Now for my finishing move I use Troop Dragon to obliterate your remaining lifepoints". The Troops Dragon slithered forwards and struck right at Rycans opponent's heart, draining his lifepoints.  
  
"Here you go" the guy said, handing over the Yamata Dragon, "You earned this fair and square, just treat it good ok?". Rycan nodded respectfully at the sad duellist and added the card to his deck, smiling only after the guys walked away at the fact that is his first duel was a victory.  
  
"Very nice" Raven commented to Rycan, "But what would have you done if he had countered your Dragon Manipulator?". "I had a spare Manipulator in my hand, if by some miracle he had of countered me I would have played it and taken his monsters out" Rycan explained smoothly, "Interested in duelling for fun?" Raven was about to answer when a different voice called out... 


End file.
